Monthly Archives: July 2017

Recently I spoke at a business function. My brief was to talk about coaching and how being coached can open up opportunities for you. What an awesome brief, as I am usually asked to speak about more specific topics such as goal setting, prioritising or deadlines. This brief certainly was a breath of fresh air and also a source of great indecision. There were so many aspects of coaching and it’s benefits that I could talk about! Where to start?

“Anne Lamott has inspired me to speak this evening about the 10 truths I have learnt from being a coach. Hopefully some of these points may resonate with you and will prompt some thinking on the way home. This being a big goal for any coach. Making you think.

Truth # 1 – Have your own goals – Make sure you are always working toward achieving your own goals. That is in business and in your personal life. These days the majority of us could be classified as borderline workaholics. It seems to be in our DNA to always be working hard and it seems to be the norm to always be busy. Don’t get to your deathbed one day and think, “oh gosh” I should have done my own thing. I should have worked towards achieving my own goals! Because by then it is just too late!

Truth # 2 – You can teach old dogs new trick – The dog just needs to be open to change. Once we realize that we are never too old to change, learn and grow, it is amazing how many opportunities we open up for ourselves.

Truth # 3 – If you fail to plan, you plan to fail – You can be the biggest visionary in the world, with the greatest ideas, but here is the thing; if you don’t draw up action plans and deadlines in order to achieve these goals, they will just stay visions and dreams forever with no results.

Truth # 4 – There is some truth in the saying “ There are 101 ways to skin a cat” there are 101 ways to solve a problem, you just need to be open to new thinking, new ideas and also other people’s opinions.

Truth # 5 – Learn to be more objective. In coaching terms this is what we call maintaining the coaching position. The next time you find yourself in a heated situation. STOP, BREATHE and STEP BACK, removing yourself from the situation helps to place things into perspective and allows you to think objectively about things. You’ll also find that this process can lift a weight from our shoulders. The weight of our EGO’s, righteousness and judgment.

Truth # 6 – Learn how to practise mindfulness – this is not about whipping out your yoga mats, drinking green tea and finding your centre. This is about learning to be in the present moment and to be happy and accepting of the present moment. We are constantly thinking about the “next project” the “next win” and this is good as it motivates us, however don’t let the future-focus mindset sabotage the opportunity to focus on the present. Learning to be in the present moment. Appreciating the here and the now only makes our lives richer.

Truth # 7 – You don’t need to wait for permission to start something – Your life is not like a collection of bus stops. You don’t need to be waiting around for the next bus. You don’t need to be waiting around for someone else to give you permission to do something in your own life or business. This sounds absurd now, but I see it often. The only person who should be giving you permission is yourself.

Truth # 8 – Who are your supporters, your cheerleaders? Who is your confidante, your shoulder to cry on? We cannot work in silos. When you make a decision to make a change in your life, make sure you have organised your support system beforehand.

Truth # 9 – Celebrate the little things and the big things – Take a moment to think about your past week and what you have achieved over this week? Did you celebrate those successes or were the successes too insignificant that they were forgotten about? Learn to celebrate.

Truth # 10 – You are making a decision, by not making a decision. Decisions can be damn hard work and sometimes procrastination seem to be the easiest thing to do. Just remember, that by putting things off and not deciding, you have actually made a choice.”

To be coached is an active choice. if any of the above rings true for you and you actively want to be coached, then why not give me a call to set up a free consultation. nicole@tikumu.co.nz

Put your hand up if you’ve ever doubted your abilities, considered yourself a fraud or an imposter? Have you ever thought you were operating on borrowed time waiting for someone to catch you out, and expose you for the fake you believe you are? These thoughts are what we calling self-limiting beliefs. Welcome to the club, everybody experiences limiting beliefs at different stages and ages in their lives and careers, it is normal.

The trick here is learning how to keep the nasty little voices in your head at bay and to learn how to manage and control them.

Don’t ignore them

Trying to ignore these thoughts and push them under the carpet might hold them back for a short period, but they are still under the carpet. Ignoring your limiting beliefs doesn’t miraculously get rid of the beliefs, it just delays the inevitable, causes a lot of undue stress and creates a tripping hazard in your life. So when you least expect it, you could stumble over the limiting belief hump which lies buried under the carpet.

Acknowledge and name them

So often we turn away from these limiting beliefs because we see them as weaknesses and perhaps character flaws. Because we find it painful to deal with them and shamefully believe that these little voices are confirming a truth. The more we turn away from these negative beliefs or ignore them they tend to grow. They become larger, more hurtful and more controlling. So instead of ignoring them, acknowledge them. Face them head on. Acknowledge their existence and name them. By doing this you are able to start the journey of learning how to manage and control them on your own terms.

Get curious

Start by taking some time out of your schedule and get really curious about why these limiting beliefs seem to appear in your life. Where do these thoughts originate from? What experience is supporting these beliefs? What triggers these feelings and beliefs? How am I benefiting from holding onto these thoughts? Was there a time were I didn’t have these beliefs and why is there a change?

Make a plan

Once you’ve dissected the belief and examined every side of it, warts and all, come up with a plan for how you will deal with it. Depending on what you discover, you may need to work on positive affirmations, learn a new skill, seek professional guidance or work on changing a behaviour, which is not serving you. There are many ways, but it is essential that you find the alternative. This will allow you to take charge. To take control.

Let it go

Once you’ve started implementing your plan, your habits will start to change for the better. There is no place to store your old limiting beliefs, they just get in the way. Make the decision and learn to let them go.

I am aware that this is easier said than done. It’s damn hard work to wrestle your negative thoughts into submission and sometimes we don’t always get it right. But, ask yourself this. “If you don’t change your limiting beliefs, what will happen?” If you are not satisfied with your answer then go back to point 1 of this article and start taking control of your limiting beliefs.

These days it seems pretty normal for the average person to shift jobs every 2 to 3 years. Depending on the job and the industry it has become an expectation for this type of migration to happen and if you don’t, well then there is something wrong with you, so they say.

I am all for growth and development. People moving up the ladder to be constantly challenged, however this affinity for constantly moving roles and companies does open itself up for questioning. I’m a coach, I cannot help myself.

It seems as though jobs have become as disposable as our morning coffee take away cup. Use it for a while and then chuck it in once you are done with it as there is always another one on the next corner. This type of practise and thought process is quite concerning. Instead of asking why and digging deep to understand the core reasons for leaving a job, it has become common practise to just find a new one. Everyone is doing it, they say.

I met Mary a number of years ago. She was extremely talented in her job and was highly sort after by some of the top firms in her industry. Mary would start off really well in her position, but eventually would start looking for a new job after 18 months to 2 years. The reason for the continuous movement; Mary didn’t seem to get on very well with the rest of the people within the office.

When I spoke with Mary she would complain about her co-workers and moan about their behaviour towards her. The problem was, this was not a unique situation. There was a pattern in almost every business she worked in. The reason for Mary leaving every time, in Mary’s opinion was due to everyone else’s bad behaviour.

Notice anything?

Yes, it wasn’t everyone else’s behaviour, it was Mary.

If you have come to the decision to leave your current job and apply for another position at a different businesses, the question deserves to be answered truthfully. Why are you resigning?

Is it purely for growth and development, for a more senior role that your existing company can’t offer you? Have you had enough and want a change of pace and scenery or, was it due to the people, culture and environment?

I believe it is very important to understand your reasons for leaving, as it may not necessarily be the company that needs shifting, it may be you.

By Mary relocating every 2 years she wasn’t dealing with the real reasons. She wasn’t taking ownership for her inappropriate behaviour and in actual fact she was doing herself an injustice by not sorting out her conduct issues. Just imagine the extra value she could be offering if she just altered some of her negative habits?

The next time you decide to shift jobs, think about why? The truth is is that if the reasons for leaving are self-inflicted those reasons will never miraculously disappear the minute you walk out the door. These reasons will always come along with you and rear their nasty little heads in your new position until you actually start dealing with them.